Analysis: Private option lingers as issue LITTLE ROCK (AP) — The approval of the “private option” that Arkansas is pursuing to expand health insurance in the state doesn’t end the debate over an idea that supporters have touted as an innovative way to reform Medicaid and opponents have blasted as no different from “Obamacare.” It’s merely a preview of the fights yet to come. As lawmakers prepare to wrap up a legislative session highlighted by a very public split within the new Republi...

Why the bad guys won’t winThe bad guys didn’t win on Monday. The people or person guilty of planting two bombs near the finish line of the Boston Marathon probably think they won. The bombs killed three people and injured nearly 200 more, tore limbs from bodies and left the streets full of blood so the bad guys will slither back into whatever hole they crawled out of and claim victory. But, rest assured, the bad guys didn’t win on Monday any more than they won on April...

I am resolvedEarly in January, an elementary school principal met with the teachers at his school and asked them to write out a New Year’s Resolution which he would post on a bulletin board in the teacher’s lounge. His hope was that everyone might read them and encourage one another in carrying them out. The teachers agreed and slowly the bulletin board began to take shape. One of the teachers, noticing that her resolution had not been posted on the board ...

When God writesOne of the greatest treasures we have is the ability to write. It enables communication of ideas, crystallizes thoughts and conveys emotions. Belief systems are given validity simply by writing them down. When God wanted to communicate his greatest truths to us, he did not just speak to men of old, but he moved upon these men to solidify these truths in written script. There are three distinct times God moves his hand to write, and there are t...

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Pastor William FlynnThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Big deal for big steelGrant Tennille was taking a break at the state Capitol Tuesday near the Rotunda. He was relaxed, which he had not always been these past 2.5 months. Hours earlier, he had watched the House of Representatives vote to take his advice and invest $125 million of taxpayer money in a project that, like any investment, might or might not work. Tennille is director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, so he’s been the most public face – ma...

Legacy: Freedom of informationIn the summer of 1966 some of Arkansas’ best journalists were working on a project to bring freedom of information — open public meetings and records — to the state. Since 1953 the state had been operating under an open meetings law that actually was used more to close meetings than open them. However, in 1966 a federal freedom of information law was passed, and the need for a state law became more obvious to the 20 or so members of the Little...

Mike Ross: For and against health care reformA couple of weeks back, I wrote that former Congressman Mike Ross’ candidacy for governor may be the best hope for Democrats to regain some footing in 2014. Rumblings from Republican politicos seem to confirm that. They fear Ross could win the nomination and provide a boost for state Democrats. Republicans are already searching Ross’ voting record and came across one in July 2009 to move the federal health care bill out of committee. Ross was ...

Price versus costSuppose you buy a gallon of gas for $3. How much did it cost you? You say, “Williams, that’s a silly question. It cost $3.” That’s where you’re mistaken, because there’s a difference between price and cost. To prove that price and cost are not the same, consider the following. Suppose you live and work in New York City and routinely pay $15 for a haircut. Imagine you were told that there’s a barber in Boise, Idaho, who can give you the identic...

Where’s the cop on the Wall Street Beat?Bankers gone wild! Let’s tally some of their crimes: JPMorgan Chase engaged in massive, systematic fraud to foreclose without cause or due process on innocent homeowners, tossing thousands of families into the streets. Goldman Sachs profited by marketing an investment package that was designed to fail, collecting fat fees on each sale to unsuspecting investors who lost millions, while the bank also collected millions more from a side bet it ma...

Making sense of the Mayflower oil spillThis column typically focuses on local history and living community traditions, paying particular attention to the ways in which people relate, directly or indirectly, to the physical landscape of the region. As cleanup continues, people in central Arkansas are trying to make sense of the Mayflower oil spill (which wasn’t actually oil but rather highly toxic dilbit or tar sands) and what it means for the health and safety of the waterways, wor...

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Meredith Martin-MoatsThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

A step toward balanceYou have to walk before you can run, and before you can learn to walk, you have to take baby steps. Maybe that’s what just happened in Washington with President Obama’s budget proposal. His 2014 plan, two months late and no doubt dead on arrival, includes “cuts” to Medicare and Social Security – “cuts” meaning that spending still would increase, but not as much as it would otherwise. One notable change is in the way that Social Security benefi...

Democratic progressive capitalismCapitalism is defined as private ownership of the basic means of production and services. Socialism is described as public or government ownership of the basic means of production and services. In the United States, a majority of the means of production and services are owned either by the public or by private interests. Who owns which and by what percentage have been determined by trial and error during the history of the U. S. In fact, our e...

April is Autism Awarenenss MonthApril is autism awareness month. Autism is a lifelong neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain in areas of communication and social interaction. It is a spectrum disorder whose characteristics can present themselves in a wide variety of combinations from mild to severe. People use different terms to describe persons within the spectrum, such as: autistic tendencies, high or low-functioning, or autism spectrum. Whatever t...

Thoughts on sufferingOne of the prime concerns in Christian apologetics concerns suffering. In brief, if God is omnipotent, it would seem that he could eliminate suffering. Then, if compassionate, he would do so. Failing in this regard, it is argued that he lacks in one or both regards. Or simply does not exist. An over-simplification no doubt, but one that troubles many. In any case, inviting us to consider this matter at greater length. (1) Suffering is a fact o...

A letter from momMy father, mother and siblings all threw newspapers for various publications such as the Houston Post, Dallas Morning News and the Houston Chronicle. My exposure to the world of newspapers began in 1969, when my family moved to Longview, Texas. I spent many early mornings as a youth with family members who worked in the newspaper business. Everyone in my family threw newspapers for part-time income, at one time or another. My mom was excited t...

An evening of clean, family funIn a day and time when most movies, video games and television programs are filled with violence, crude language and other less-than-family-friendly content, I want to tell you about an exciting event we had in our community last February. While you may not live here, any organization can host an event like the one I want to share with you. The event was our second annual Conway Noon Lions Club fundraiser at the new Hendrix College gym. This w...

Thatcher’s death marks the end of an eraWhen Margaret Thatcher was elected England’s first female prime minister of England in the spring of 1979, I was 12 years old and my father had been a congressman for less than four months. To me, it seemed as if it would be only a short while until my own country followed suit and elected a woman to serve as president. Of course, in my mind, it would be a conservative woman, strong willed, committed, determined and articulate. Like Thatcher. ...

Busy few weeks at the CapitolThis week we received news that former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Lady Margaret Thatcher has died. A towering figure of the Cold War, she stood strong alongside President Ronald Reagan against the Soviet Union and earned the nickname “Iron Lady.” She was one of those leaders whose steel and charisma endear their legacy to people’s memories for generations. A true historical figure, she stood firm on her conservative principles at hom...

NRA school violence study fails to provide practical solutionsThe National Rifle Association rolled out its hired gun, former Arkansas Congressman Asa Hutchinson, last week to present a $1 million study done in the wake of the December grade school massacre at Newtown, Conn. To no one’s surprise, the study said we need to have more guns in schools to prevent similar tragedies. The best recommendation in the study says that schools should use more school resource officers — sworn police officers — to impr...

Crawford seeks state’s help to fight ObamacareCongressman Rick Crawford has been clear on one thing since he began running for office in 2010 – he opposes health care reform touted by President Obama. However, after three years in office, he and his colleagues have been unable to stop Obamacare from moving forward and is now asking Arkansas legislators for help. Crawford’s inability to halt the program is not for lack of tryng. The congressman and his fellow Republicans, along with a hand...